Why is Radon Dangerous to our Health?

What You Need to Know About the Health Effects of Radon Exposure

Most of us are unaware of the potential impact of radon exposure on health. At low levels, like what you’d typically find in the environment, there’s no immediate cause for concern. It doesn’t irritate the body, and there are no telltale signs or symptoms to alert you. But when radon levels increase, that’s when the risk rises—primarily in the form of lung cancer.

Lung Cancer and Radon: A Slow Burn

Radon, naturally occurring gas, is radioactive and is commonly found in homes, particularly in basements and lower levels. While exposure to high levels of radon can be a silent threat, the damage it causes often takes years to show up. For most people, the long-term concern is lung cancer, and for smokers, this risk is even more significant. Being exposed to elevated levels of radon while smoking compounds the already high risk of lung cancer, making it even more dangerous.

Children are particularly vulnerable because their lungs are smaller, and they breathe faster than adults. This means that children may experience a higher dose of radiation for the same level of radon exposure.

How Radon Enters Your Lungs

Radon itself isn’t the problem—it’s what comes after. Radon decays into radioactive particles known as progeny, which cling to dust particles in the air. These can be inhaled, and the smaller the dust particle, the deeper it can travel into your lungs, taking those radioactive particles along for the ride.

Once these particles lodge in the lungs, they release energy, damaging lung tissues. If the body does not correctly repair this damage, it can eventually lead to the development of lung cancer. Although the process may take years, the long-term effects are severe, especially with continued exposure.

Chronic Lung Diseases and Radon

In addition to lung cancer, people who have been exposed to higher radon levels—particularly miners who were exposed for years—are at a higher risk for chronic lung diseases. These diseases include emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis, and chronic interstitial pneumonia. Long-term radon exposure can exacerbate these conditions, especially in people who smoke.

Radon and Carcinogenicity: How It Can Lead to Cancer

Researchers have found that miners and those living in homes with higher radon levels are more likely to develop lung cancer. This is especially true when radon concentrations exceed certain levels. The unattached radon progeny can cling to lung fluids, but the attached particles are the real problem. These can latch onto the respiratory epithelium—the tissue lining the lungs—and deliver radiation directly to lung cells.

The radon particles themselves are cleared from the lungs quickly, but when they cling to lung tissue, their decay process can damage the genetic material in the cells. The cell can become cancerous over time if this damage isn’t fully repaired.

Smoking and Radon: A Dangerous Duo

If you’re you’re a smoker, your risk of lung cancer from radon exposure skyrockets. Studies have shown that people who smoke and come into contact with high levels of radon have a much greater likelihood of developing lung cancer compared to those who do not smoke. The combination of radon exposure and smoking creates a synergistic effect, meaning the combined risks are far worse than either one on its own.

One interesting finding from miner studies is that if someone started smoking before being exposed to radon, the effects were less severe than if they started smoking after radon exposure. Regardless, the risk is significant in both cases.

Radon and Lung Cancer in Non-Smokers

Even if you don’t smoke, radon exposure can still pose a threat. In non-smokers exposed to elevated radon levels, the risk of lung cancer increases, although not as dramatically as for smokers. But that doesn’t mean the danger isn’t real. For individuals who have never smoked, being exposed to radon still raises the risk of developing lung cancer, making it the second most common cause of lung cancer in the United States, following smoking.

Different Types of Lung Cancer From Radon Exposure

The types of lung cancers seen in people exposed to high radon levels can vary. Small-cell carcinoma appears more frequently, especially in the early years following exposure. Other types, like adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and large cell carcinoma, are also common in people exposed to high radon levels over time.

What About Reproductive Effects?

The good news is that there is no strong evidence linking radon exposure to reproductive problems. The main concern remains its long-term impact on lung health.

Final Thoughts: Take Action to Reduce Your Risk

While radon exposure may seem like an invisible threat, it can be managed. Testing your home for radon is the first step in reducing your risk. If radon levels are elevated, take action to mitigate the exposure—whether that means improving ventilation or installing a radon reduction system.

To decrease their risk of lung cancer, smokers should focus on quitting smoking, particularly if they reside in an area with elevated radon levels. The mixture of smoking and radon exposure is extremely dangerous, but both dangers can be minimized by taking preventive actions.